MELKSHAM’S Tourist Information Centre has 20 copies of the book “Titanic’s Unknown Child”, by Carol Goodwin, for sale with all the proceeds being donated to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Carol is the grand-niece of Frederick Goodwin, the father of the Goodwin family, from Melksham, who all perished when the Titanic sank in 1912.
The book tells the story of Sidney Leslie Goodwin, who was the baby of the family, and how he was finally identified as being the “unknown child” buried in the graveyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia, after the disaster.
The final chapter of the book features Melksham band Sackful of Sovereigns who wrote a moving song about the Goodwin family called “Bound for the Promised Land” and then were requested by Carol to write another song about Sidney Goodwin called “An Unknown Child”. Both songs are featured on a CD which is included at the back of the book.
Carol sent 40 copies of the book over from the United States; a copy for each member of Sackful of Sovereigns and a copy each for all the people in Melksham who had helped her with the book. She then suggested that the remainder of the books were sold to cover the band’s costs but they have decided to sell the books and donate the money to two charities whose work involves rescue – a poignant link to the Goodwin’s story.
Carol and her husband Iza have made a number of visits to Melksham – the last time being in 2012 when they returned to the United States on the 100th anniversary cruise of the sinking of the Titanic.
The book normally retails for $45.00 (£31.60) but is being sold at the special price of £25.00.
